Creasing iron



Jan. 22, 1963 5. J. SMITH 3,074,192

CREASING IRON Filed June 22, 1962 INVENTOR. SALLY J. SMITH ATTORNEY Unite States atenlt 3,074,192 CREASLNG RON Sally J. Smith, Carol Brown, 214 Orange St, Apt. 2A, Newark 3, NJ. Filed June 22, 1962, Ser. No. 204,459 3 Claims. (Cl. 38--93) This invention relates to a creasing iron which facilitates the ironing of creases in and into clothing, draperies, and like material. More specifically, if deals with an iron having a spring-loaded vertically-separable false bottom actuated by finger control. The material to be creased is ironed between the two buttoms.

At the present time, conventional irons have no provision for speeding up the creasing of clothing and similar material. Proposals have been made in the art for attaching a separable bottom onto a conventional iron, but these attempts have not been successful due to the fact that they involve danger in burning the fingers while attaching or removing the bottom, complexity of construction, and other disadvantages as will become apparent from the discussion which is to follow.

According to the present invention, a simple, lightweight and inexpensive creasing iron, which may be em ployed for conventional ironing, as well, has been developed, which enables the application, to the material being ironed, of -a false bottom creaser by a mere pressure of the thumb.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which a preferred embodiment is disclosed, and in which FIGURE 1 illustrates a side elevational view, partly in cross-section, of a preferred creasing iron of the present invention in idle condition. A top or plan view thereof is depicted in FIGURE 2. FIGURE 3 presents a cross-sectional side view of a part of the body portion of a similar iron, slightly modified, in condition when the thumb knob is depressed to lower the false bottom. FIGURE 4 presents a bottom view of a portion of the iron, as modified for steam iron purposes. Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures.

Referring again tothe drawing, numeral 5 indicates, generally, the complete iron having rhandle portion 6 and metal base or bottom portion 7 in which are embedded the conventional electrical resistance units (not shown). A housing 8 and housing plate 9 are disposed over the base 7 and are of conventional construction, as is temperature thermostatic control 10. Below base '7' is a flat metal false bottom 11 disposed in direct and intimate contact with heated base 7 and having its sides disposed in substantially open flush relation with those of base 7. Attached to the top of false bottom 11 is control rod 12, which projects through hole 13 in base 7, through holes 14 and 15 in housings 8 and 9, respectively, and through hole 16 in handle 6, and terminating in thumb push-knob 17. A plug socket 18 is provided on iron 5 to accommodate electrical outlet plug 19.

Control rod 12 is provided with means to prevent rotation thereof independently of base 7. This may be accomplished by making rod 12 of square cross-section and hole 13 also of square shape. Or, as in FIGURE 3, false bottom 11 may be provided with a guide rod 20, attached to the bottom 11, and riding in hole 21 in base 7.

Rod 12 is provided with a shoulder or flange 22 which serves as a thrust member for helical spring 23. Spring 23 rests on washer 24 which, in turn, rests on base 7.

From the aforesaid, it is apparent that iron 5 may be used as a conventional iron, when in idle condition, as in FIG. 1. In such use, electrically-heated base 7 readily heats up false-bottom 11, which serves as the ironing surface. However, when it is desired to iron a crease in the fabric being ironed, knob 17 is depressed with the thumb, causing rod 12 to push out false bottom 11 away from base 7, against the thrust of spring 23. The crease to be ironed is inserted in space 25, between the two bottoms, and then the thumb pressure is released, whereupon the crease is squeezed between the two heated bottoms and pressing thereof is accomplished with ease and efficiency.

In the event iron 5 is to be a steam iron, false bottom 11 is provided with steam vent holes 26 (FIG. 4), which are in juxtaposition with steam vent holes 27 in base 7.

In the event iron 5 is a traveling iron, the handle 6 may be hinged at 28 to enable the handle to be swung sideways and thus make the iron more compact. To effect this, rod 12 would have to be split below handle 6. For example, rod 12 may be provided with projecting sleeve 29 into which the upper part 12' of rod 12 would fit. Thus, before handle 12 is folded, upper end 12 is raised to clear sleeve 29.

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Serial No. 136,399, filed on August 29, 1961, now abandoned, by Sally J. Smith.

I claim:

1. A creasing iron, comprising,

a heatable base,

a handle mounted on and projecting over said base,

a false bottom disposed below said base in intimate heat transfer relation therewith,

a rod attached to the upper surface of said false bottom and projecting through said base and terminating in a knob above said base, and

spring means mounted around said rod and above said base in a manner such that when said knob is depressed, said rod separates said false bottom from said base for a distance adequate to accommodate a crease to be ironed, and when pressure on said knob is released, said spring exerts a thrust upon said rod and said base thereby pulling said false bottom toward said base.

2. A creasing iron, comprising,

a heatable base,

a handle mounted on and projecting over said base,

a false bottom disposed below said base in intimate heat transfer relation therewith,

a rod attached to the upper surface of said false bottom and projecting through said base and said handle and terminating in a knob,

a shoulder disposed on said rod above said base, and

spring means mounted around said rod above said base and below said shoulder in a manner such that when said knob is depressed, said shoulder compresses said spring and said rod separates said false bottom from said base for a distance adequate to accommodate a crease to be ironed, and when pressure on said knob is released, said spring exerts a thrust upon said shoulder and said base, thereby pulling said false bottom toward said base.

3. A creasing iron, comprising,

a heatable base,

a handle mounted on and projecting over said base,

a false bottom disposed in non-rotatable relation below said base and intimate heat transfer relation therewith,

a rod attached to the upper surface of said false bottom and projecting through said base and said handle and terminating in a knob,

a shoulder disposed on said rod above said base, and

spring means mounted around said rod above said base and below said shoulder in a manner such that when said knob is depressed, said shoulder compresses said spring and said rod separates said false bottom from 3 said base for a distance adequate to accommodate a crease to be ironed, and when pressure on said knob is released, said spring exerts a thrust upon said shoulder and said base, thereby pulling said false bottom toward said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Mills June 14, 1910 Reynolds Aug 12, 1952 

1. A CREASING IRON, COMPRISING, A HEATABLE BASE, A HANDLE MOUNTED ON AND PROJECTING OVER SAID BASE, A FALSE BOTTOM DISPOSED BELOW SAID BASE IN INTIMATE HEAT TRANSFER RELATION THEREWITH, A ROD ATTACHED TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID FALSE BOTTOM AND PROJECTING THROUGH SAID BASE AND TERMINATING IN A KNOB ABOVE SAID BASE, AND SPRING MEANS MOUNTED AROUND SAID ROD AND ABOVE SAID BASE IN A MANNER SUCH THAT WHEN SAID KNOB IS DEPRESSED, SAID ROD SEPARATES SAID FALSE BOTTOM FROM SAID BASE FOR A DISTANCE ADEQUATE TO ACCOMMODATE A CREASE TO BE IRONED, AND WHEN PRESSURE ON SAID KNOB IS RELEASED, SAID SPRING EXERTS A THRUST UPON SAID ROD AND SAID BASE THEREBY PULLING SAID FALSE BOTTOM TOWARD SAID BASE. 